On quantification of traffic congestion impacts on socio-economic aspects in cities

Traffic congestion is one of the most significant impacts of the constantly increasing mobility demands in cities. In this paper, we conceptualize a complex multi-aspect algorithm for quantification of the socioeconomical impact of congestion. This algorithm can be a very powerful tool for evaluating recurrent congestion in cities in terms of quality of life (QoL) and economic assessment that justify investments. It is also a forecasting tool that evaluates planned interventions in urban transportation systems such as constructions, reorganizations, and various special events. The proposed preliminary algorithm takes into consideration the value of time, the fuel consumed, and the cost of produced CO2 emissions. With the provided example, it was shown that in case of Prague city, daily congestion-related cost can exceed an overwhelming 800.000 EUR/day. This is a considerable amount when considering its daily base repetitiveness.